Tyson Fury Vs. Oleksandr Usyk Being Lined Up For An April Undisputed Clash
Fury v Usyk fight close to completion
The highly anticipated heavyweight undisputed fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury is being planned for April 29th, either in Saudi Arabia or in London, UK.
ESPN’s Mike Coppinger reported that Usyk, who is the holder of the IBF, WBA, and WBO titles, has already finalised the agreement with the Saudis, as the ball remains in Fury’s court to see if the WBC champion, with a 33-0-1 record and 24 KOs, will reach a similar agreement.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk remain in talks for an undisputed heavyweight title fight being targeted for April 29, sources told ESPN.
Usyk closed his side of the deal with the Saudis and now Fury must. If not, the fight could head to Wembley. Ramadan ends on April 21.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) February 1, 2023
Despite having only one championship title, Fury considers himself the bigger name in the match-up with Usyk. A record crowd for the Dillan Whyte fight at Wembley, with a reported 90,000 in attendance, was testament to that.
If Fury turns down the deal, the fight may be shifted to Wembley Stadium. However, Usyk is unlikely to accept a significant reduction in his purse, having defeated Anthony Joshua in back-to-back unified defences.
Both sides must navigate tough mandatory defences if the bout cannot be made. Usyk has Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois as his obligatory challengers. In contrast, Fury is obligated to take on the winner of Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr in what is the WBC title eliminator.
In anticipation of the match-up, this is what former boxer Kevin Barry had to say in an interview with Seconds Out:
“I see Tyson with his size, his stature, his height, his reach, making this fight very difficult for Oleksandr Usyk. I know that Tyson Fury will not stand there and allow Usyk to dictate the terms of the fight like Anthony Joshua did. Tyson is far more aggressive. Taking the fight to him, exhausting the little man. I don’t personally believe that Usyk has the power to hurt Tyson Fury.”